Behind-the-Scenes Beauty: The Works at Monique Lhuillier

by Phillip Picardi

Three beauty powerhouses were backstage to create the look at Monique Lhuillier: M.A.C.'s Val Garland, Kerastase's Odile Gilbert, and CND's own Jan Arnold. But why such heavy reinforcements?

"Her collection is elegant, as always, but with a goth edge," explained Arnold, "and this is not your rock 'n' roll goth, either. This is more romantic, like Angelina Jolie in The Tourist."

Channeling that sinister beauty, Garland was quick to pay homage to fashion great Irving Penn for her makeup look, calling it a "fierce take" on the photog's portraits. She utilized M.A.C.'s latest palette for a "lunge of plum on the lid, with black on the outside" and then made the eyes pop with white pencil. The foundation of the season, it seems, is M.A.C.'s newest "MatchMaker," which Garland used for "seamless luminosity." The real focal point of the look, however, was in the brows: "They are fierce, drawn on, and extended outward for extra drama."

Gilbert's team at Kerastase was frantically undoing tight braids and long extensions for the late-arriving models from Theyskens' Theory, but Gilbert handled the pressure like a pro. "My inspiration is Richard Avedon," she said while sculpting her intricate updo. "This is a haute couture influence--we're treating the hair as if it was ribbons. And the bow is the perfect little touch, like if you put a bird in its cage." When asked for any tips on how to achieve this look at home, the stylist laughed: "a lot of hairspray."

To finish things off, the amazing (and my newest best friend) Jan Arnold created a manicure based on the duality of Lhuillier's collection. She started off with a Silver Chrome base, layering it with the khaki color Desert Suede. "The Silver Chrome cools the color, hardening it little," she explained. Then, the edge lay in the finish: "We used a new color coming out in September called Deep Aubergine to create a line, almost like a skinny liquid liner, which really elongates the nail bed and adds the drama." I looked down at her own nails, and saw she was rocking a similar look. "Seriously, it's like putting on high heels for your nails," she said. But less painful, I'm sure!